Reference
All 9 GHS Hazard Symbols
Click any symbol to learn more about its hazard classes, examples, and required label elements.
Learn what each GHS symbol means, when it's required, and test your knowledge. Free interactive tools for chemical safety compliance.
Click any symbol to learn more about its hazard classes, examples, and required label elements.
Can you identify all 9 GHS symbols? Take this quick quiz.
Essential guides for chemical safety compliance.
Learn what the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is, why it was created, and how it affects chemical labeling in your workplace.
Complete guide to OSHA's GHS labeling requirements including pictograms, signal words, hazard statements, and more.
Guide to OSHA GHS training requirements including who needs training, what to cover, and how often to retrain.
Determine minimum GHS label size by container volume.
There are exactly 9 GHS hazard symbols (pictograms) in the Globally Harmonized System. Each is a red-bordered diamond with a white background and a black symbol inside. They cover: explosives (GHS01), flammables (GHS02), oxidizers (GHS03), compressed gases (GHS04), corrosives (GHS05), acute toxicity (GHS06), irritants (GHS07), serious health hazards (GHS08), and environmental hazards (GHS09). Note: OSHA requires only 8 — the environmental pictogram (GHS09) is optional in the US.
GHS symbols are standardized pictograms used worldwide to communicate chemical hazards. They are part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, developed by the United Nations. Each symbol represents a specific type of hazard — physical (fire, explosion), health (toxicity, corrosion), or environmental. They appear on chemical container labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Each GHS symbol communicates a specific hazard type. The flame means flammable, the skull means acutely toxic, the exclamation mark means irritant or harmful, and so on. The symbols are always displayed inside a red diamond border on a white background. The symbol reference section above explains each one in detail with examples and hazard classes.
GHS symbols appear on chemical container labels (bottles, drums, tanks), on Safety Data Sheets (SDS, Section 2), on workplace safety signs and posters, and in shipping documents for hazardous materials. Every manufacturer, importer, and employer handling hazardous chemicals must display the appropriate GHS symbols per OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
The GHS symbol for flammable substances is GHS02 — the Flame. It shows a black flame icon inside a red diamond. It applies to flammable gases, aerosols, liquids (flash point ≤ 93°C), and solids, as well as pyrophoric and self-heating substances. See the full GHS02 Flammable page for hazard classes, H-statements, and our flash point calculator.
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